Did Chance the Rapper Just Save SoundCloud?

Share

After rampant unsettling reports that SoundCloud’s days are numbered — which the streaming service, home to one of the largest economies of unsigned music talent, has denied — it appears Chance the Rapper might’ve stopped the bleeding. On Thursday, amid speculation that SoundCloud has 50 days until complete bankruptcy, Chance, one of thousands of rappers who credits SoundCloud with some of his earliest success, cryptically tweeted that he was “working on [it].” He then announced today that he had a “very fruitful” phone call with SoundCloud co-founder Alex Ljung, who revealed just last week that SoundCloud had slashed its staff nearly in half to stay financially afloat and remain independent. The apparent result of that call, according to Chance: “SoundCloud is here to stay.”

Just had a very fruitful call with Alex Ljung. @SoundCloud is here to stay.

In a series of tweets and a blog post, Ljung affirmed the news, saying that reports of SoundCloud’s death have been overblown. “The music you love on SoundCloud isn’t going away, the music you shared or uploaded isn’t going away, because SoundCloud is not going away,” he wrote. “Not in 50 days, not in 80 days or anytime in the foreseeable future. Your music is safe.” SoundCloud hasn’t provided any specifics about how exactly it plans to stay, aside from the round of staff cuts it once again referenced in this latest post. It’s possible Chance provided funding (either through his own personal investment or elsewhere), but more likely he’s using his platform to once again champion independent artists and help get the word out that SoundCloud isn’t dead — yet. A SoundCloud spokesperson tells Vulture that Chance “connected” with SoundCloud “to inquire about the rumors and speculation circulating” and that his “takeaway is reflected in his tweet.”